Publisher's Summary: Esther Nisenthal Krinitz was a survivor of the Holocaust in Poland. At the age of 15, in October 1942, having lived under Nazi occupation for three years, she and her sister decided to separate from their family and disguise themselves as Catholic farmhands. Esther never saw her family again. In 1977, at the age of 50, having worked throughout her life as a dressmaker, she began hand-stitching embroidered fabric panels as a way of remembering, healing and sharing her childhood stories. She went on to create 36 pieces chronicling the key moments of her childhood story. Esther passed away in 2001 but lives on through her unforgettable tapestries of survival. Her daughter, Bernice Steinhardt, adds insightful narrative to each panel as she recounts her own recollections of the stories her mother shared with her.

In 1939 when Esther Nisenthal Krinitz was 12 years old, the Nazis invaded Poland. While her family was able to remain in their country home for three years, they finally were forced out in October 1942. Now 15 years old, she and her 13-year-old sister went into hiding. They were able to pass themselves off as Catholics and eventually worked as farmhands for the duration of the war.
After the war she moved to New York City where she married and raised a family. She told them stories about her life in the old country and, when she was 50 years old, decided to show her family what life had been like. She did so through embroidering 36 tapestries providing detailed snapshots of those earlier years. Each picture has an explanation by Esther as well as commentary by her daughter Bernice.
The first picture shows her home and her family. Others relate to various holidays as well as life in the village. Several show life after the Nazis arrived as well as life inside some neighboring concentration camps. It includes the family fleeing from the Nazis and leaving their homes as well as what happened to them afterwards until they came to America..
Esther’s memory and talent resulted in exquisite tapestries. Looking through the book made me want to see them full size. They have been displayed at several art museums and were the topic of a video (Through the Eye of the Needle - The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz). My only regret is that it includes no photograph of her. ( )

A stunning collection of embroidered panels that tell the story of Esther Knitz, a Holocaust survivor who hid out with her sister to endure the war in Poland. ( )

Esther Nisenthal Krinitz retells the story of her childhood in a small Polish village through a series of handstitched
embroidered panels. ( )